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By any measure, the Houston Astros are running out of easy ways to improve their roster. With the signing of Tatsuya Imai and the team operating near the Competitive Balance Tax, ownership has made it clear that more significant free-agent spending is off the table. That leaves one realistic path forward: trades. The problem? Moving […]
For weeks, baseball insiders have been saying that the free agent market has been slow moving. However it only takes one big move to potentially jump start things, and we may have gotten that in the Chicago Cubs signing free agent 3B Alex Bregman to a 5 year, $175M deal. Where does that take us? […]
One of the things we want to do in the lab is to find as many different ways to explain what we are seeing as possible. The Houston Astros were 21st in the league in runs scored. They were 11th in team batting average. Therefore, something is going on that would limit their offensive production. […]
In the movie “Moneyball”, one of the scouts told younger Billy Beane that all of us are told one day that we can no longer play a children’s game. Some of us are told when we are children and some of us are told much later on, but we are all told. Father Time is […]
The Houston Astros will host the 14th annual Houston Winter Invitational at Daikin Park at the end of the month, from Jan. 30-Feb. 1. The tournament will feature six NCAA Division II universities, squaring off in nine games across the three days. Tickets for the tournament are now available for purchase at Astros.com/WinterInvitational. The tournament field features […]
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the shortstop position. BEST OF THE BUNCH Caden Powell Powell was a 6th round pick back in 2024 out of junior college after posting some video game like numbers. He got off to a […]
it is a new year and with new years come all kinds of possibilities. One of the fun parts when the calendar switches to 2026 is seeing what different projection systems have in store for your favorite team. I am a big believer in data. That is what the lab is all about. Few things […]
Legitimate prospects out of Latin America sign for at least six-figure signing bonuses, and they do so when they are 16 years old. Anyone who signs for less or signs when they are older tends to be an afterthought. Framber Valdez signed with the Astros for $10,000 as a 21-year-old on March 18, 2015. He […]
There are certainly projections for all of the Astros pitchers and some sources have provided them for Tatsuya Imai as well, but providing projections for big league pitchers is challenging enough. Providing them for foreign born players is that much harder. How good is the Japanese major leagues in comparison with the big leagues? There […]
All the news and rumors for the Astros and from around MLB – it’s in here! The second offseason Crawfish Boil of 2026! Here’s what’s happening: Translated from Japanese Tatsuya Imai, Astros’ New Jersey Number “45” Decided; 23 Pitchers Including Ace Cole and NPB Veterans Have Worn It in the Past; To Be Unveiled at […]
Welcome to the first offseason Crawfish Boil of 2026! Just like a real crawfish boil – everything is in here! There’s a lot to unpack today: MLB.com’s David Adler has more on Okamoto: https://www.mlb.com/news/kazuma-okamoto-blue-jays-deal It’s a 4-year, $60M deal with no opt outs per Jon Heyman. That $15M AAV doesn’t preclude the Jays from continuing […]
Obviously, things have changed considerably in the last 24 hours. The signing of Tatsuya Imai changes the pitching landscape considerably. So, one name that was included with the starters will now move to the bullpen. However, before we get there we need to take a step back and look at bases per out in some […]
Happy New Year Astros fans! The Astros offseason has now officially started. It was close to 11 a.m. CT when Jeff Passan reported that the Houston Astros were signing Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai. An offseason of bargain shopping and working margins in trades had just been set ablaze by Dana Brown (likely with Jim […]
Dedicated Astros fans have been waiting all offseason for a big move and it looks like they get one as a New Year’s gift. It has been reported in multiple outlets that the Astros are in agreement with Japanese phenom Tatsuya Imai on a three year contract with opt outs after the first and second […]
All the news and rumors for the Houston Astros and from all around MLB – it’s in here! The final offseason Crawfish Boil of 2025! The deal is 1 year for $5M. A former Houston Cougar who also attended Alvin CC and Dulles HS in Sugar Land, Hernandez owns a career 7.06 ERA across 21.2 […]
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the third base position. BEST OF THE BUNCH Shay Whitcomb Whitcomb has been a constant producer in the Astros system for the last few years and 2025 was no different. He played in 107 […]
Look around the Astros fansphere and you will see no other topic of conversation that has resonated as much as the conversation over the starting rotation. I pointed out earlier in a separate commentary that the Astros seem to be more focused on pitching than hitting as an organization. That is their default setting. It […]
All the news and rumors around the Houston Astros and from around MLB – it’s in here! A late night offseason Crawfish Boil for the holidays – December 29, 2025 Cliff’s notes version: Ruiz led the AL with 67 SB in 2023, but has only 76 AB the last 2 seasons combined between the A’s […]
We finish our trip through the diamond in right field. Ironically, the combined output by the two primary right fielders is one of the more disappointing parts of the 2025 season, but these two players might be a biggest part of the hope for growth. Ultimately, where this team goes depends greatly on where these […]
All the news and rumors for the Houston Astros and from around all of MLB – it’s in here! Today’s offseason Crawfish Boil for December 27, 2025: Other important notes from this include: The Marlins are now considered unlikely to deal Sandy Alcantara; The Mets, Giants and Orioles are among the teams that reportedly met […]
There is something I needed to get off my chest, but I wanted to keep it out of the lab. The key to all good science is to remain true to the scientific method and that means keeping opinions out of our stats as much as humanly possible. However, like many of you, I am […]
Since we are in the holiday season and since the hot stove is likely set to simmer, I thought I would tell a tale as old as time itself. Track any major invention and there is always a sordid tale about someone else that invented something similar at the same time. Alexander Graham Bell invented […]
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the second base position. BEST OF THE BUNCH Brice Matthews After a strong 2024 campaign, Matthews followed it up with another productive season at Triple-A in 2025. Across 112 games with Sugar Land, he […]
In their latest combined notes column, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic take a dive into the New York Mets and where they stand currently following the trade of IF/OF Jeff McNeil. What they had to say should be very interesting to Astros fans. They mention the Mets are still looking for a […]
The first annual Jim Crane Celebrity Classic presented by James Hardie charity event will be held January 24-26, 2026, at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, FL. “The Classic” a three-day, star-studded, charity event, will be hosted in conjunction between the Astros Foundation and the G-Unity Foundation and will benefit a wide variety of non-profit and charitable organizations, targeting youth sports and education, […]